Manway clamp



Qct, l0, 1950 H, C, @Ln-SGH 2,525,217

MNWAY CLAMP l vFiled .July ef 1949 Hans c G/frsb/ D INVENTOR.

, /6 BY Y l@ ggg Patented oci. 1o, 195o Hans C. Glitsch, Dallas, Tex.,"assignor to Glitsch Engineering Company, Dallas, gTex., a partner- ,Ship

Application July 6, 1949, Serial N0. 103,307(

, This invention relates to new and useful improvements -in clamps.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved clamp particularly adapted for use with refinery manway covers.

Another object of the'invention is to provide an improved clamp, including a stud Ibolt with a pair of spaced washers at least one of which is held against rotationthereon and eccentrically disposed on the bolt, so as to engage over the edge of a manway cover whenv the bolt is rotated and nuts on the bolt engaging the washers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp including a flat-sided stud bolt having spaced washers. conned thereon by nuts, each washer having a laterally oiiset slot having a at side engaging the flat side of the bolt, whereby the washer is caused to rotate when the bolt is rotated.

A construction designed to carry outl the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a refinery deck or floor with a manway cover held thereon by clamps constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the stud bolt and one of the washers,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view showing a modified form of clamp, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a modified form of bolt and washer.

In the drawings the numeral Il] designates a stud or headless bolt. The bolt has a medial enlargement or body II which has at sides l2 and rounded ends I3. The body is adapted to iit snugly in a complementary slot or opening I4 in an elongate clamp washer I5. The slot I4 is offset laterally from the center of the washerV cover A.

7 Claims. (Cl. 29725-256) 2 large enough to permit the body Il to freely rotate therein. Two washers I5 and I6 are employed; said Washers being duplicates.

The upper washer I5 overlies the adjacent edges of the plate A and the covers A' and the washer I5 engages the underside of the top of the beam I3.` Nuts Il screwed on the threaded ends of the bolt engage the washers. It will be observed from Fig. 3 that the body I I is of such length as to cause its top and bottom to terminate within the slots I4 of the washers, whereby the nuts can be screwed against said washers and the parts clamped together.

By reason of the eccentric positioning of the slots, the bolt may be rotated 90 and brought to either of the positions shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1. In the uppermost position the bolt has been rotated to bring the longitudinal axis of the washer I5, substantially parallel to the edges of the plates, whereby the washer overlies only one of the plates and the other plate is released. In-the lower position the bolt has been rotated to cause the ends of the washer to overlie the edges of both the plate and the manway cover. This arrangement makes the clamp especially desirable for fastening manways.

In Fig. 4, the plate or tray C has a depressed marginal flange C' which supports the edge portion of the manway cover A'. In this form the washer I6 bears against the underside of the flange in which the opening B' is formed. By loosening one of the nuts I'I the bolt I0 may be rotated to move the washers 90 and release the In Fig. 5, the manway cover A' is supported on a anged deck plate D and the opening B' is provided in the latter. One end portion I8 of the upper washer I5 is bent down so as to engage the deck plate. Fig. 6 illustrates a modified form of clamp which includes a continuously screw-threaded stud bolt I9 having a longitudinal panel 2U out out of its threads, thus giving the rbolt a flat side. A pair of washers I5 and I E similar to the washers l5 and I 6 are employed and each has an eccentric slot I4', which differs from the slot I4 in that it has only one iiat side so as to receive the bolt I9.

The clamp is simple and inexpensive. While the body Il and the threaded portions of the vbolts will slide through the slots AIll and I4', the

at sides will cause the washers to rotate when the bolts are rotated. These clamps are advantageously used in renery towers. Since the nuts I'I are accessible above and below the plates and covers, either nut may be loosened from above vor below, and thus, the clamp may be likewise loosened or fastened.

While it might be possible to alter the structure of the washer I6, the elliptical shape and eccentric slot are very useful. The washers are mounted on the body Il in complementary relation and thus whether a workman is above the cover A or below it, he can tell at a glance whether the clamp is fastened or unfastened.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made,

within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit'lof the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A clamp including, a stud bolt, nuts on each end of the bolt, said bolt having a atsid`exe posed between the nuts, and a pair of Washers mounted.. on the; bolt--between the nuts; each washer: having. an: eccentrically disposed@ slot? each washer is eccentrically disposed on the bolt.4

4. A clamp including, a stud bolt having anA enlarged, nat-sided body at its medial portion,V a pair of washers each having a' nat-sided slotreceiving the body of the bolt, and a pair of` nuts screwed onto the bolt and engaging thelA Washers.

5. A clamp asset forth in claim 4, wherein'- the: slot of each washer'is` offset fronithe center' thereof.

6. A manway cover clamp including, a plate,- a cover having its edge spaced from the plate,- a` stud'bolt mounted outside the edge of ther `cover and? havingiagflat side, washers on the bolt-engagingthel'upper and lower sides of saidf plate and cover, each washer having a flat-sided slot disposedeccentrically therein and receiving thaflat side of` the bolt, and nuts on the bolt? engaging the washers, said washers being ro-1 tatable by the bolt to release the cover.

7. As; clamp` including,v a=.studA bolt," nuts-' on each end of the bolt, and affpair of spacedIwashf-fl ers mounted-on the' bolt'betweenthel nuts, the bolt having anat side lexposed between the nuts; at least one of saidfwashershaving-anlfecceirtrically disposed* slotf through which the? bolt passes and-aflat side'engagedrfby the flat sidel of the bolt.

HANS C. GLITSCH:

No references cited.: 

